


Borne Of Whimsy And Wind

by JubblyPippo644292



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Agender Character, Animal Traits, Asexual Character, Courting Rituals, Courtship, Fluff, Grooming, Immortals, Light Angst, Other, Power Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JubblyPippo644292/pseuds/JubblyPippo644292
Summary: Paarthurnax bends down and rubs his snout against Odahviing's, his enthusiasm nearly bowling over the smaller dovah."Do you accept me? Accept my interest?" Paarthurnax asks, chest heaving and nostrils flaring."You are strong, you are kind," Odahviing's muzzle wrinkles at the foreign word. "...And you are not your Brother."/Odahviing comes to terms with life after Alduin's tyranny, finding an unexpected balm in the presence of a lonely old dovah.
Relationships: Odahviing/Paarthurnax (Elder Scrolls)
Kudos: 23





	Borne Of Whimsy And Wind

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon that all dov are agender and asexual. Paarthurnax and Odahviing here use he/him pronouns. All dov are capable of reproducing via parthenogenesis but are still asexual immortals, only experiencing romantic affection. Paarthurnax here is a lot larger and more powerful than canon to tie into his blood relation to a literal god. All dialogue spoken by dov is in dovahzuul only. 
> 
> Anyway here's lgbt+ dragons.  
> Enjoy!

_ Dov  _ are creatures borne of wind and whimsy, fickle and faithless they do as they please when they please. Soar where the air takes them and roost where Nirn would hold them. Immortal and ageless, the trappings and desires of  _ joor  _ cowering in their stone cities and wooden huts could not compare to their otherworldly ways. 

But, to the uneducated eye of a  _ joor _ , the sacred and honourable act of grooming a fellow  _ dovah  _ could be taken to be something as infantile and lowly as  _ nuzzling.  _

Odahviing flies through his territory, the  _ qah  _ coating his immense body gleaming red, purple and pink as they are warmed in the early morning suns. After Alduin's defeat, he had claimed the majority of the southern lands of Skyrim and a wide swathe of mountains as his personal eyrie. Undisputed as the strongest  _ dovah  _ after the Old One, there was no need to patrol his lands to lay fresh claim to the borders. Despite his unwavering dominance over the area, he calls out his challenge, his  _ Thu'um  _ rolling through the clouds and echoing across the plains. Asserting his might to all that lives below him. 

In the distance, the shrill answering cries of the weaker  _ dov  _ that roosted beyond his territory reaches him, a greeting and display of submission. Odahviing's contented rumble scatters the herd of mammoths as he coasts over them, wings flapping lazily, following the currents and letting them direct him through the sky. 

A deeper older roar sounds out, high above him, a summons from The Throat of The World.

To answer or to ignore? Odahviing did not become the right hand of the World Eater for his strength alone. Clicking to himself in contemplation, he then rumbles in response and circles back, towards the mammoths before heading to the Old One. 

The meat clenched between his claws slows his journey, but he reaches the peak of the mountain barely a few minutes after Paarthurnax's call. Another  _ dovah  _ is there, slim and sleek to the elder's titanic aged body, a frilled crest flattened submissively to their head as they touch Paarthurnax's chin in farewell.

Odahviing tosses the dead mammoth atop the cliff and lands heavily, acknowledging the younger  _ dovah's  _ bowed head directed at him. They depart, and Odahviing is left considering what business the Old One has with him.

"Paarthurnax." He greets, as is customary for the weaker  _ dovah  _ to recognise the strength of their superior by name. He is the only one that Odahviing submits to, out of all the  _ dov  _ left after Alduin's failed conquest, besides the  _ Dovahkiin.  _

The elder turns to him, flurries of snow kicked up as his ragged wings cut a path through the ever present layer on the ancient stone. "Odahviing." The innate power of Paarthurnax's  _ Thu'um  _ charges the air as he speaks, slow and ponderous, chewing over each word until he is ready to speak them.

The unexpected reciprocation of respect has Odahviing's jaws opening in surprise, breath steaming through the meagre gaps in his curved fangs. Alduin had never lowered himself to addressing his subordinates by name, they were not worth being spoken by his godly maw.

Paarthurnax chuckles, amusement warbling from his wide chest. "When will you learn that I am everything that my Brother was not." 

The interactions the two had had with each other since the World Eater's demise had been few and far between; Odahviing knows how to tread carefully in the presence of a genocidal God, but the mild mannered younger brother was a mystery to him. He had been young during the Dragon War, too young to garner Alduin's attention until after Paarthurnax's betrayal, where he was appointed as the replacement General in the war efforts. 

"A bold claim." Odahviing quips, aware that if he had declared such a thing to Alduin, his throat would be torn open before he could finish his sentence. Here though, the only reaction Paarthurnax gives is twitching his upper lip and widening his filmy eyes, putting Odahviing on notice that his disrespect is being watched. 

A shrewd  _ dovah _ , Odahviing breaks eye contact and nudges the mammoth carcass towards Paarthurnax. "I bring this, while you sustain yourself from the suns and the stars, fresh meat can never go amiss."

He deposits it in front of the larger  _ dovah _ , freezing in place when Paarthurnax's head casts a shadow over his as he moves closer. The elder's body fills his vision, mottled greens, sage and slate  _ qah  _ darkened with age from a distance but this close, he can see the vibrant veins of emerald and obsidian shining between the armoured plates. The shared resemblance to Alduin does not escape him, but where the World Eater was dark and jagged, Paarthurnax is pale and blunt. 

His nostrils flare over Odahviing's muzzle, scenting him then, to his complete disbelief, Paarthurnax rubs his cheek across his own. 

Physical affection in  _ dov  _ was reserved for the closest and most bonded individuals, usually between Bearer's and their clutch. The touch is unfamiliar and Odahviing whines, nearly inaudible above Paarthurnax's reassuring rumble but he quickly backs away, curling his neck to the side. 

"You…" Odahviing begins and halts, biting his tongue to avoid making a fool of himself. 

Paarthurnax lets him retreat, watching him, eyes as gentle as a  _ dovah's  _ could ever be. "I am not my Brother." He reminds him,  _ Thu'um  _ making Odahviing's scales itch pleasantly, thankfully he looks away, chuffing his gratitude and tucks into the meal.

His spiked jaws shear away steaming lumps of meat, swallowing them down quickly, Odahviing watches his throat work as he makes short work of the mammoth. 

"Come." Paarthurnax lifts his head and gestures to the half-devoured animal with his bloodied muzzle. "Join me." 

Another luxury that Odahviing was never afforded as he served Alduin. He refused to eat anything but the  _ zii  _ of  _ joor _ , nothing less than souls would sate his unceasing hunger. A  _ dovah  _ need not eat at all, but Odahviing was not ashamed to admit that he cherished fresh living meat but made sure not to over-hunt in his territory. A mammoth could sustain him for months and he wasn't above stealing food from lands claimed by other  _ dov,  _ although he'd rather not stir trouble now that Paarthurnax reigned as their  _ Thur.  _ His  _ Thuri. _

Odahviing approaches the feasting elder, who locks his jaws around the hindquarters of the mammoth and with his wing claws hooked into the rest of the body, he rips off a leg and presents it to him. Being provided food directly from his  _ Thuri  _ is unfathomable, unknown and unexpected to Odahviing, he chirrs confusedly but delicately takes the offered treat. 

Paarthurnax watches him carefully but not obtrusively, brushing him with his snout briefly then returning to the shared meal. Together they crunched through the tough sinew and thick bones, leaving nothing to waste. Odahviing considers the signals that Paarthurnax has been displaying during their morning together and, feeling bold, steps closer to the massive  _ dovah.  _

"You are not the World Eater." Odahviing agrees. "Who are you then, Lord?" 

Paarthurnax exhales gustily. "To you, I would be merely Paarthurnax. If you would have me, old I may be, but my devotion is unwavering. Allow me to prove my intentions."

"You are older than the mountain beneath our scales, that much is true. I hold no doubts towards your devotion, you who secluded himself in this wretched land, alone for eons. I do not care for your Way nor will I ever." Odahviing warns. 

Laughing, the sound akin to stones tumbling over each other in an avalanche, Paarthurnax replies. "I have followers aplenty for that. That is not why you capture my interest." 

"Then why me? I replaced you in the War, I served the World Eater where you failed." 

"Careful," Paarthurnax bares his teeth. "I find your spirit and fire appealing, but do not disrespect me, I was the only one to have the bravery to leave my Brother's tyranny. You would do well to remember that,  _ Odahviing. _ " He growls his name,  _ Thu'um  _ ripe with anger and challenge. 

Odahviing, taken aback by the other's ire, dips his long neck and smoothens his ruffled  _ qah. _ "I do not know how to act around you." He admits quietly. "Alduin wasn't one for mutual conversation nor do I seek the company of other  _ dov." _

The menacing growling trails off, replaced by the scraping of leathery wings as Paarthurnax stands close enough that he can feel the heat radiating off of his body. "Act as you are, as you have always been. Respect me and I will treat you the same." 

"I do not want hatchlings." He says abruptly. 

Odahviing remembers the pain of losing countless hatchlings in the War, his nests sought out and destroyed before the little ones had even set claws onto Nirn. Where the nests survived, they shortly perished in adolescence, scales soft enough for an arrow to prove their death. If a  _ dovah  _ sought for it enough, they would become gravid with young on their own terms without the physical requirement for a mate. 

A soft noise escaped the elder. "Nor do I. If I found a nest safe enough from mortals then perhaps but not now."

"We are of the same mind." Odahviing peers at Paarthurnax. "You have been alone for so long." 

"Yes," He sighs. 

Craning his head upwards, Odahviing faces him, stares into slate eyes filmed over with age, brimming with knowledge and power. His own burning amber eyes take in the blood still around his maw. "Long enough for you to be as messy as a youngling." 

"I have not eaten for some years." Paarthurnax responds, clicking in embarrassment. 

Before Odahviing could lose his nerve in front of such a powerful  _ dovah,  _ he leans in and swipes his tongue across Paarthurnax's muzzle, rasping over dry armoured plates. A burbling noise of pleasure leaves the elder's throat and Odahviing takes that as permission to continue grooming him. He licks away the blood slowly, devoting his entire attention into it, the gentle motions reminding him of cleaning away the slime from his newly hatched broodlings and his hearts pang with sorrow. Paarthurnax bends down and rubs his snout against Odahviing's, his enthusiasm nearly bowling over the smaller  _ dovah. _

"Do you accept me? Accept my interest?" Paarthurnax asks, chest heaving and nostrils flaring. 

"You are strong, you are kind," Odahviing's muzzle wrinkles at the foreign word. "...And you are not your Brother." 

"You wanted him." Paarthurnax says neutrally, neither accusatory or judging. 

Odahviing hesitates. "I do not know what I wanted. I wanted my brood to survive, I was young, I devoted everything to the War."

"I would protect your young, both you and them would thrive under my care. That I vow." 

"I do not trust easily. Your Brother made sure of that." 

"I ask for nothing but what you are willing to give, freely and truly. I have waited this long for peace, I can wait longer to win your trust and to prove myself as a worthy mate." 

Odahviing chuckles. "You may be waiting longer than you think, Old One." 

"I am patient." Paarthurnax sighs wistfully, "You are beautiful." 

"As I have heard." Odahviing noses down the muddy green scales and scenting him, heady with the smell of fresh snow, moonlight and ash. Paarthurnax shifts and stands tall, poised and strong, he spreads his wings and welcomes the younger  _ dovah's  _ scrutiny. "The War left its marks on you." He takes in the heavy scarring across Paarthurnax's hide and chips in his arcing horns. 

Bobbing his head, Paarthurnax nods and returns to rest on his wings. "It scarred you too." He replies softly, his  _ Thu'um  _ a delicate whisper. 

Although Odahviing's  _ qah  _ remains shining and smooth, he couldn't deny the elder's statement. He quietly returns his early affections and rubs his face against Paarthurnax's, sloughing away dead  _ qah  _ with the rough motions. Odahviing had not groomed another  _ dovah  _ in millennia and he couldn't hold back his pleased grunts as they push against each other. The sharp spikes along their jaws served as an abrasive surface perfect for such intimate interactions. They step and circle around the other, the snow melting beneath their heft, as they begin their courtship with the respected tradition of full body grooming. Although it is mostly Paarthurnax requiring the delicate removal of layers of weak skin, Odahviing finds himself enjoying nibbling away at the larger body, responding to his delighted thrumming. 

"Nest with me tonight." Paarthurnax asks, eagerly as he licks along the webbing between Odahviing's wings. 

His reply startles him at how easily it comes. "Yes." 

Baking the Word Wall in a sudden wave of fire, Paarthurnax melts the snow piled up against its curve and curls against it, holding his wing open. Odahviing joins him, tucking himself beside his bulk and under his wing. Paarthurnax sighs and rests his head between purple horns. "Your rest will be undisturbed, I will guard you." 

Relaxing into the long missed comfort of sleeping beside a warm body, Odahviing drifts off peacefully, feeling hopeful for what his future could hold with this strange  _ dovah.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Qah = scales  
> Dov/dovah = dragon  
> Thur/Thuri = Lord
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
